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Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems (Paperback)

by Richard Ferber (Author) "The most frequent calls I receive at the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital in Boston are from a parent or parents whose..." (more)
Key Phrases: late sleep phase, second sleep cycle, partial waking (more...)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (438 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
When your child isn't sleeping, chances are that you aren't either. Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems--a tired parent's essential for more than 10 years--offers valuable advice and concrete help when lullabies aren't enough to lull your child into dreamland. Based on Ferber's research as the director of Boston's Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital, the book is a practical, easy-to-understand guide to common sleeping problems for children ages one to six. Detailed case histories on night waking, difficulty sleeping, and more serious disorders such as sleep apnea and sleepwalking help illustrate a wide variety of problems and their solutions. New parents will benefit from Ferber's proactive advice on developing good sleeping patterns and daily schedules to ensure that sleeping problems don't develop in the first place. You'll also find a bibliography of children's books on bedtime, sleep, and dreaming, as well as a list of helpful organizations. Here's a book that is sure to put you and your whole family to sleep--in this case, that's a good thing.

Review
Kirkus Reviews Those wrestling with a persistent or more serious problem will find this a real boon. -- Review

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Product Details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Fireside; Later Prntg. edition (April 17, 1986)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0671620991
ISBN-13: 978-0671620998
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (438 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,581 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
The most frequent calls I receive at the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital in Boston are from a parent or parents whose children are sleeping poorly. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
late sleep phase, second sleep cycle, partial waking, pleasant bedtime ritual, confused thrashing, nighttime arousals, nighttime wakings, bedtime difficulties, nighttime episodes, sleep associations, good sleep patterns, brief wakings, enuretic children, narcoleptic patients, sleep terrors, partial arousal, full waking, daytime behavior, hypnagogic hallucinations, brief arousal, nighttime fears, sleep paralysis, asleep alone, child wakes, nighttime feedings

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 26 books:

Bunk Beds by Elizabeth Winthrop in Back Matter
When the Wind Stops by Charlotte Zolotow in Back Matter
The Importance Of Dr. Seuss (The Importance Of Series) by Stuart P. Levine in Back Matter
Boris and the Monsters by Elaine MacMann Willoughby in Back Matter
Edie Changes Her Mind by Johanna Johnston in Back Matter

See all 26 books this book cites

76 books cite this book:

The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact With Your Baby Leads To Happier, Healthier Development by Sharon Heller on 4 pages
Good Nights: The Happy Parents' Guide to the Family Bed (and a Peaceful Night's Sleep!) by Maria Goodavage on page 20, page 25, and Back Matter
Children's Past Lives: How Past Life Memories Affect Your Child by Carol Bowman in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
The 7 O'Clock Bedtime: Early to bed, early to rise, makes a child healthy, playful, and wise by Inda Schaenen in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Mom Book : 4278 of Mom Central's Tips--For Moms from Moms by Stacy DeBroff on page 62, and Back Matter

See all 76 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Take Charge of Your Child's Sleep by Judith A. Owens

Discusses:

The Complete Guide to Natural Sleep by Dian Dincin Buchman

Discusses:

American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child's Sleep by American Academy Of Pediatrics

Discusses:

A Clinical Guide to Sleep Disorders in Children and Adolescents by Gregory Stores

Discusses:

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	87% buy the item featured on this page: Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems 4.0 out of 5 stars (438)
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	5% buy The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night 4.3 out of 5 stars (754) $10.85
	1% buy The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Child's Sleep 4.7 out of 5 stars (61) $11.53

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Customer Reviews

438 Reviews

5 star:		(266)
4 star:		(64)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(64)

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4.0 out of 5 stars (438 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

211 of 218 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True "attachment" parenting, December 11, 2006

By	J & A - See all my reviews

This review is from: Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition (Paperback)

My wife and I tried for a while the ideas presented in the "no-cry sleep solution" without success. After months of lots of cry and no-sleep problems (both for our son and for ourselves), I decided to read Ferber's book. Because we were concerned about the "cry-it-out" method, I also did some research on what is known in the scientific literature. Here is a summary of my findings:

1- there are several published studies showing that cry-it-out (extinction) and graduated extinction methods are effective in solving sleep problems. Almost no controlled and detailed scientific studies support the "no-cry sleep solution" methods.

2- there is no hard evidence that letting your child cry-it-out causes long-term problems (unless you're ignoring real medical problems).

3- there is evidence that a child's sleep deprivation leads to impaired cognitive development.

4- cold-turkey cry-it-out (extinction) requires more maintenance than graduated extinction, the method proposed by Ferber.

5- Parents using graduated extinction to solve their child's sleep problems bond with their child more than parents whose child does not sleep through the night (true attachment parenting).

The above considerations led my wife and I to try Ferber, since it is in our son's best interest that he sleeps well. I should emphasize that Ferber does not support the "cold turkey" cry-it-out method, where you just let the child to cry to sleep. Instead, he supports the periodic check and reassurance of the child, to let him/her know that you're there for them (graduated extinction).

Ferber's book was very easy to read, even for a tired parent. I followed his recommendation, and read the whole book before attempting any treatment. This was very important to us, as we found out that our 9-month old son was eating too much at night, causing his sleep problems. After keeping a log of our sons sleep, we followed Ferber's treatment for night eating, and then we changed his sleep associations. Now, for the first time, our baby slept almost 10 hours in a row.

Here is how I would summarized the pros and cons of Ferber's book:

Pros: easy to read; works; not judgmental on parents expectations and capabilities; supported by scientific research; not a cold-turkey cry-it-out method.

Cons: Not for everybody (some parents are unable to let their child cry, even for a minute, without consoling them);

Bottom line: Solving your child's sleep problem is in your child's best interest. You need to make sure that your child does not have any medical problems (our son had reflux, and we had to solve it before we approached his sleeping problems). You also need to make sure you have the right diagnosis of the sleep problem before attempting a treatment, and this requires reading most of the book.

Update: Since we starting using Ferber's two months ago, our son sleeps for about 10 hours in a row, and he is clearly a happier child. When we put him to sleep, most of the time he doesn't cry at all, and when he does, he usually cries for less than a minute.

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97 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to be a Sears mom, but Ferber is what worked for us, January 27, 2000

By	Anne Moss (Westchester) - See all my reviews

I want to reassure parents who feel Ferber is cruel. Ferberizing was our last choice. We tried nursing/rocking to sleep and co-sleeping first. I knew Ferber would work because so many parents had said so; but at what cost?, was my strong feeling. We finally turned to Ferber after the other two methods failed us. With nursing to sleep, our 7-month-old baby would wake up and wail as soon as we place him in the crib; we would repeat this cycle for hours each night, which exhausted everyone and deprived him of time he should have spent sleeping. With co-sleeping, he didn't cry but slept on my schedule (ie, way shorter hours) and showed fatigue and stress because of that. That was actually the worst in terms of the baby being tired during the day. And I slept badly because I was so aware of him next to me (important, but my sleep is not the first priority, his is). With Ferber's method, he cried 35 minutes the first night, 5 minutes the second, 15 the third, and less than one minute last night. Each day I scrutinize him for any signs of trauma, alienation, any problem, and he is as happy and engaged as ever, and clearly not tired the way he used to be. It is unbelievably hard to not respond to your baby's cries, that's for sure. But you have to make up your own mind on how to handle this universal problem. Sears parents sometimes go a little nuts: I know babies who still nurse all night at age 2 years, who have never tasted solid food, their moms are zombies and dad sleeps on the couch. But I know they are doing what they feel is best for their families. The bottom line is every parent is trying to do what's best, we each make different choices, and we should respect each others choices. But one more benefit of Ferber--it is so fantastic to have some quality time alone with my husband again each night. You need to keep investing in your spouse too; not just in baby. Good luck to all!

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397 of 431 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Torn between Sears and Ferber, March 14, 2000

By	M Butner (New York, NY - where else?) - See all my reviews

Even if you disagree with this book's program, it's worth a read. There is a great deal of valuable information on how babies sleep, and the theory of sleep associations and how they relate to a baby's sleep patterns is convincing -- especially if you're a mother for whom this program worked.

On the other hand, this book desperately needs updating, especially as relates to breastfeeding. It's really meant for formula-fed infants who sleep in cribs in their own rooms. And the book rarely differentiates between 3-mo olds, 9-mo olds and 3-yr olds! Moreover, there is no information on how to maintain the good habits once you've "done" the program, which would have been useful.

There is at base an unbridgeable chasm between Ferber and William Sears, the renowned advocate of "attachment parenting." Sears claims that by not responding to a crying baby at night, you teach your baby that mommy is unresponsive. That the baby who doesn't cry at night has "given up." And that attachment can suffer as a result. (He even states that "Ferberized" children do continue to cry out frequently at night, but that their desensitized parents do not hear them.) Ferber claims that you can teach your baby that you are still "there," but that your brief visits are not worth all the crying. Ultimately the baby learns to go back to sleep readily on his or her own.

Until the book is updated, I recommend that parents familiarize themselves with both Ferber AND Sears, and then feel their way along. Many of my friends, like myself, practiced attachment parenting "by the book" for 6 months. Then, as the baby's increasing activity and alertness made this impossible, found varying degrees of success with "Ferberization." Flexibility and sensitivity to the baby are key.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I am a believer now!
My son just turned 6 months and had not slept more than 3 hours straight in his entire life. It would take me sometimes over an hour of rocking, breastfeeding, walking,... Read more

Published 12 days ago by R. Lasek

5.0 out of 5 stars I am amazed. Never thought this would work, but it did.
I felt pretty desperate as my five month old son was only sleeping for at most an hour at a time and as little as 10 minutes. We had tried everything and nothing worked. Read more

Published 15 days ago by A. Greene

2.0 out of 5 stars Maybe I'll Try Again Later
We tried this method for a few nights and a few naps when our daughter turned three months old, but it just didn't work for us. Read more

Published 17 days ago by tomkitten

2.0 out of 5 stars I don't know if its just me and my baby, or if this method doesn't work
It is difficult to implement this. And, when babies teethe or are sick (which, unfortunately happens a lot between 6-12 months), it is challenging to implement. Read more

Published 24 days ago by Y. Washington

5.0 out of 5 stars Changed our lives
We tried Ferber's method when our daughter was 7 or 8 months old and still waking up several times during the night and demanding attention, because the sleep deprivation was even... Read more

Published 29 days ago by Phantom Reviewer

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book!
I almost gave up hope after the first night, but I knew that it would take time and patience to get through the first few days of this! Read more

Published 1 month ago by Misty A. Jimenez

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Ferber Believer
Many of Ferber's critics have not actually tried his method. One poster accuses Ferber of being mean. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Elizabeth Blane

1.0 out of 5 stars Not my philosophy
When I was pregnant with our first and only child I read many many books, including this one. I actually didn't even finish this one as it was not along the lines of my parenting... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Mindy Franssen

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let your fear of some crying not help your baby to learn to sleep alone
After reading who knows how many books I finally got to this one. I wasn't opposed to letting my baby cry, but I didn't know if it would really work. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Maria E. Ahues

5.0 out of 5 stars Helped my 3.5 month old sleep 11-12 hours a night
Ferber says "It's entirely reasonable to cut back to two nighttime feedings by the time your child is two or three months of age, one feeding by three or four months, and none at... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Lauren Wu

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